


Sometimes Darkness Can Show You The Light (Disturbed)

by MephistosFemaleBrain



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-02-28 11:51:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18755899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MephistosFemaleBrain/pseuds/MephistosFemaleBrain
Summary: A mission goes wrong, and all that's left is pain and darkness. Will there be light?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I am planning on this to be my next longer fic. I will use some elements of the shorter, unfinished stories I have out there since I used them to test some stuff and might delete the others on the way. I'll warn you now that this will be for a mature audience and it won't be updated as quickly since this does require more plot than porn ;) - still, there will be quite a lot of smut though.
> 
> I have no editor and English is not my first language - I apologise for any mistakes, strange wordings and anything that you won't like...

The dislike between Sara and Ava was palpable. Sara was tired of always hearing how she and her crew screwed up all the time, how they were a waste of space and resources, how they still managed to make things somehow worse than before.

Sara had never heard Ava actually acknowledge them for putting their health and sometimes their lives on the front line for the bureau if all else failed. Considering how they were treated, it felt like bigotry that they were always called in when nobody else could get the job done, always with total disregard for the well-being of her crew or herself for that matter.

Sara understood that she was an asset, but being reduced to nothing more then a tool and an ex-assassin made her feel dehumanised and expendable. She tried to ignore her feelings, but anytime Ava gave her that cold look as if Sara was just a robot or a freaking weapon without a beating heart in her chest it hurt her. Sara wasn't proud of her past, but she somehow hoped that people outside of her crew could see past it, could see her, Sara the human being.

Ava was tired of Sara's blatant arrogance and total disregard for rules and regulations. She always wondered if Sara actually believed that Ava enjoyed chastising her and her crew all the time. Ava knew that Sara wasn't stupid, in fact, she had demonstrated above average intelligence at times, and it frustrated Ava to no end that she seemingly did not want to understand how things had to be. Ava couldn't run a worldwide organisation like the bureau with more than 50.000 employees, half of whom were field agents engaging in dangerous activities daily without rules and strict regulations.

Ava was responsible for them, their lives and also the influence the bureau had on everyday life in virtually all of time. She had tried to explain this to Sara more than once, but the thick-headed Captain just wouldn't listen to reason.

"Captain Lance, we have an incoming from the time bureau."

Sara huffed exhausted. "Put her on Gid."

  
The hologram of Ava Sharp appeared on the bridge, she looked prim and propper like always, her face stern, suit crisp and sharp, her hair was flowing openly over her shoulder.

"Captain Lance." Ava acknowledged the Captain courtly, her face remaining neutral.

"Ava," Sara growled.

  
"Captain Lance, I need you and your crew to clean up a situation immediately."

"Ava, no!" Sara said, putting her hands up in desperation.

"Captain Lance, this is an order, not a request," Ava said cooly, cocking an eyebrow.

"God damn it, we have only come back from the last mission. Amaya and Ray are in the medbay with severe injuries, the rest of my crew is exhausted. They need a break. I am not risking their lives without giving them a fair chance to recover first!"

"Captain Lance, do you really think that you and your crew are the only ones risking their lives here?"

"No, Ava, of course not but..."

"This is an ORDER, Captain Lance!" Ava repeated more forcefully.

Sara sighed heavily, exhaustion visibly on her face. "Fine, send the coordinates to Gideon."

Ava nodded satisfied before ending the transmission.

  
"What are we facing Gid?" Sara asked the AI, before falling into a chair to listen to the mission briefing.

  
After half an hour Sara knew the facts and made a decision.

"Gid, I am going in alone. The crew needs a break, and I think I can handle this on my own."

"Captain Lance, I would advise against such a move."

"Gid..."

"Yes, Captain. Let me at least transmit your mission to the bureau in case things go wrong."

"Fine, but not before I have actually engaged those bastards, wouldn't want the Director on my ass before I even had a chance at a kill."

  
When Sara had entered the woods to sneak up on Darhk's man, Gideon hailed the time bureau.

"Yes, Captain Lance?" Ava asked exasperated, expecting Sara to be the caller.

"Director Sharp, Captain Lance is on the assigned mission, I am transferring the life imaged to you now."

Ava looked startled. "Why would you do that?"

"Captain Lance is taking the mission solo, in case she needs back up she agreed to have me transfer live-video."

"What the HELL!" Ava shouted, burying her face in her hands.

"Gideon, how is this possible."

The AI did not answer to Ava's question. Ava growled in frustration but accepted the transmission watching in stunned horror as Sara engaged Darhk's man in a surprise attack, quickly killing two of them before assaulting in close quarter combat.

Ava couldn't help being impressed with Sara. The renegade Captain really was a force to behold. Sara's legs, fists and her baton moving so fast and so precise that her attackers stood hardly a chance. She was slicing through her foes like a scalpel, and even if her opponents managed to land a punch or a kick, Sara never seemed to notice them.

Ava felt a bit relieved, this looked like it would not actually turn into a disaster for once, but when suddenly more and more men flooded the clearing Ava held her breath. Sara was facing impossible odds now, yet did not seem to falter or even consider retreat.

With a hard blow, she killed another individual, dropping into her ready stance, smiling at the approaching reinforcements. She invited her attackers with a small wave of her left hand, before engaging them fiercely. After what felt like an eternity the rows of enemies were finally starting to become spotty, the body count mounting around Sara. Ava shook her head, why was Sara always this cocky?

Ava noticed that Sara's movements started to look less graceful and precise, her face no longer calm and focused but crunched up with exhaustion. Even when she was exhausted, Sara was still a better fighter than all of the others, yet the battle had been going on for over 45 minutes, and her energy levels were visibly dropping off.

"Come on, Lance...!" Ava whispered, holding her breath readying herself to send reinforcements.

After another 15 minutes of back and forth battle, Sara finally killed the last enemy, bending over and panting hard from physical exhaustion. She had taken quite the beating in the final stages of the battle, no longer able to attack and defend as fast as before.

When she uprighted herself, she was holding her ribs, while wiping the blood from what must be a split lip with the other hand. Ava could tell by Sara's movement that the ex-assassin was exhausted, dragging herself away from the clearing to get back on the waverider.

Ava finally exhaled, about to turn off the transmission when a movement behind Sara caught her eye.

"WATCH OUT!" Ava shouted, but Sara could obviously not hear her. Sara stumbled forward, her face showing utter surprise.

"What the...!" Ava groaned, when Sara suddenly fell forward, landing hard on her face. Two arrows were protruding from her back, red stains forming around them on her leather suit.

"Fucking hell!" Ava whispered, opening a portal without thinking of her own safety. She was at Sara's side within seconds, swept the bleeding Captain up in her arms in a fluid motion, careful not to move the arrows and portalling onto the waverider.

"GIDEON!" Ava shouted.

"The med bay is ready, Director Sharp!" Ava nodded, hastily carrying Sara towards it.

"Gideon, I need some help. Zari or Amaya, quickly!"

The AI did not answer, but a few seconds later Amaya and Zari came running in.

"What the FUCK!" Zari shouted.

"Not now, Ms Tomaz, we need to take care of Captain Lance first," Ava growled.

Ava carefully turned Sara in her Arms so that her back was facing Amaya, Sara's head resting on her upper arm. Sara whimpered in pain, a sound that was so foreign from her lips that Ava frowned concernedly.

"She IS human, you are aware of that?" Amaya said softly watching Ava's confusion.

"Yes. I am aware of this fact, Ms Jiwe."

"Director Sharp, Captain Lance needs urgent treatment, I suggest to take off her suit and pull out the arrows so I can start the healing."

Ava nodded. "Some help here Ladies?" she snarled at Amaya and Zari.

"I will cut her out of the leathers, Zari go get some gauze and tape so we can apply pressure to the arrow wounds once we have pulled them out, Director Sharp - can you hold her upright for me?" Amaya commanded.

Ava carefully dropped Sara's feet to the ground, her hands moving around her back to keep her standing, pressing her against her own body for added support. The Captain wasn't very heavy, yet nearly unconscious by now and hung limp in Ava's arms.

Sara's face was pressed against Ava's neck, small moans of pain escaping her. Ava swallowed hard, Sara's ragged breath hot on her skin, the muscular body feeling warm in her arms. Sara smelled intoxicating, there was Lavender and citrus and sandalwood from her shampoo, the smell of leather from her suit and the metallic scent of blood blending to something a goddess of war would have smelled of.

  
Amaya noticed the flushing cheeks of Ava, allowing herself a soft smile. She made quick work of Sara's suit, essentially cutting the Captain out of it, also cutting her out of her tank top and underwear she wore underneath.

Finally, Ava was holding very naked Captain in her arms, marvelling unconsciously at her soft skin under her fingers.

"OK, Zari, be ready to press the wounds. Ava, I will pull quite hard to get the arrows out, you got to hold her steady. This will probably be very painful for her!"

Both women nodded somberly.

"Sara," Amaya whispered into the Captain's ear, "I don't know if you can hear me, but we need to pull out the arrows so Gideon can start fixing you!" S

Sara did not respond, but her hands went up and grabbed Ava's shoulders tightly. Ava swallowed hard. Amaya ripped the first arrow out quickly, yet Sara moaned loudly into Ava's neck, a shiver running through her body, knees wobbling.

"Hold her!" Amaya said sternly, pulling at the other arrow. Sara groaned loudly, and Amaya had to use a lot more force to pull it out since it had buried itself deep into Sara's shoulder blade. Sara winced and moaned with pain, her hands desperately clutching and unclutching Ava's shoulders.

Ava was surprised how vulnerable the Captain was in her arms, such a stark contrast to the cocky asshole she usually was.

"Talk to her, calm her... just... just comfort her!" Amaya snarled at Ava, quickly pressing the gauze on the now freely bleeding wounds, while Zari secured them with tape.

"Shhhh Sara.... you gonna be fine. Only a few more minutes. Gideon will make it right. Shhhh..." Ava whispered, trying to sound gentle.

With her words Sara seemed to calm down, her face nestling closer into Ava's neck, inhaling deeply. After a few minutes, Ava was able to lift her back up and place her in the chair, quickly averting her eyes from Sara's naked form. The captain was undeniable beautiful, Ava had to admit.

Firm breasts, very toned abs and muscular arms and legs were on full display, her mound clean shaven and inviting. Ava gulped, looking around for a blanket to cover the naked form.

"There, in the drawer!" Amaya said, smiling at the flushing Director while connecting Sara to Gideon's diagnostic systems. Ava found a blanket and quickly covered the Captains body, noticing goosebumps all over Sara's body.

"OK. I think this will do for now." Ava said courtly, with one last glance at the sleeping Captain.

"Ms Jiwe, please update me when the Captain is back on her feet."

"You can stay, you know," Amaya said softly.

"No, she fucking can't. Amaya, they hate each other, why would Sara want to see her face of all faces when she wakes up." Zari snapped.

"I have bureau business to attend to," Ava said cooly, before leaving the waverider without another glance.

Ava sighed deeply, sinking into her chair letting her head fall back. She needed a drink, a stiff one.

"Garry, I am out now. Please let me know when Gideon updates us on Sara Lance's condition."

"Yes, Director Sharp."

Ava nodded before opening a portal to her apartment, feeling the need for a hot shower and a big glass of her finest whiskey.

Ava took a large gulp of the amber liquid, enjoying the burn down her throat, closing her eyes recapping the day. Her mind wandered back to how Sara had felt in her arms, her skin under her hands - so soft and tender. Sara's breath on her neck... Ava hummed involuntarily, the hairs on her arms rising making her shudder. She had never thought of the Captain like this, she still despised her, but it would be foolish not to admit that if circumstances were different, Ava would try and score her.

  
Ava was informed a few hours later that Sara was on the mend, sleeping off the sedation and expected to return to duty within a day. Ava was comforted by the news, and when the next day approached with new fights and battles awaiting them, she was glad to have the Legends at her full disposal again.

  
Ava was uncharacteristically nervous before her next meeting with the Captain of the Legends, but when Sara entered her office, the cocky smirk back on her face, arrogance seeping from her every pore Ava's nervousness was quickly replaced by annoyance.

  
"Ms Lance."

  
"Ava." The two women greeted each other cooly.

  
"Director Sharp." Ava corrected Sara out of habit, knowing that Sara only used her first name to antagonise Ava.

  
"Right. So what is it this time?"

  
"Same as always, I send the coordinates to Gideon already."

  
"Alright," Sara said, sounding bored.

  
"I need your team to catch a suspect, we need further information on Darhk's plans, and we believe this person is in his inner circle."

  
"OK, no probs."

  
"Ms Lance. I hope you do not take this lightly."

  
"Oh, I wouldn't dare."

  
"Captain Lance..."

  
"Yes, Director Sharp. I swear on the 1296 page long rules&regulations handbook of the bureau that the Legends won't take this lightly."

  
Ava shook her head in frustration, anger rising. "He was the one that shot you."

Sara's eyes snapped onto Ava's, her expression unreadable yet her eyes being vulnerable for only a second. "Oh. Good to know. Thanks."

  
Ava nodded.

  
"And...ahem... thank you for your help. Amaya and Zari told me..."

  
"Don't mention it." Ava waved her off, blushing slightly.

  
Sara looked at her with intrigue, cocking her head but for once not trying to get at Ava with a snarky remark.

  
"Well, I guess I am on my way then." Sara turned, and Ava was sure that a small smile had formed on Sara's face.

  
The mission went as well as it could, considering the Legends were running point on it, and Ava was about to head into her next mission briefing when everything went downhill. It had been a trap, and neither the Legends nor the bureau had seen it coming.

When the team was able to pull free, Damien Darhk himself was engaging Sara in close combat. The Legends had to retreat and could only watch in horror when an arrow hit Sara in her thigh, making her stumble. Darhk was an excellent fighter, and before Sara knew it, he had her pinned to the ground with magic, squeezing her throat until she lost consciousness.

With one last look at the Legends, he laughed, grabbed the unconscious woman's hand and was gone the next second. The Legends managed to get out of the fighting, saving themselves by retreating back into the jump ship and on the waverider.

  
Ava was awaiting them on the bridge.

"What the HELL happened!" Ava shouted at them.

"It was a trap!" Ray huffed annoyed, "we had no chance!"

"Where is Captain Lance?" Ava asked sharply.

"He took her, one second he was there and the next he was gone." Amaya sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. Ava stared at Amaya, a million thoughts rushing through her head.

"He took her?" Ava groaned.

"YES, god damn it. He fucking took her with him, and now we have no clue, no idea where she is!" Zari shouted, tears running down her face.

"We'll..." Ava started but was interrupted by Zari. 

"NO, AVA. WE WON'T! WE HAVE NO CLUE, YOU HAVE NO CLUE, AND THE WHOLE FUCKING BUREAU HAS NO CLUE WHERE THAT ASSHOLE IS! STOP BULLSHITTING YOURSELF! SARA IS GONE, WE HAVE LOST HER!" Zari screamed at the team, shaking now, hands balled into tight fists.

"Zari...!" Amaya said softly, wrapping her in a tight embrace, the other woman melting into her for comfort, crying into her neck.

Ava swallowed hard, she knew Zari was right. They knew nothing and were virtually helpless. Sara was on her own, and no help would be coming anytime soon. A cold shiver ran over Ava's skin, dread rising like darkness in her heart. Who knew what Damien Darhk would do to the captain to make her spill some secrets?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go, be warned. Not that graphic yet, but still...

When Sara woke the first thing she realised was intense pain, and she couldn't suppress a moan. Her head hurt badly, but it felt like her whole body was on fire. The next thing she realised when she opened her eyes, blinking furiously against the bright lights hurting her head was that she was dangling from the ceiling.

Sara's hands were brutally chained together, her clothing was gone, leaving her naked and exposed. Sara's feet were barely touching the ground, only giving her shoulder joints a minimum of support in holding her body weight.

Sara blinked a few times, trying to shake off the buzz in her head. She was in a room bare of anything but a very bright lamp like one would find on any building site, a door led into a dark corridor, and an old chair and a metal table were resting to the side of the room. Dark stains covered the table and the floor around it, making Sara shiver involuntarily at her guess what substance the stains were made off.

A Camera hung in one corner, probably having her in focus she thought. Sara sighed, rattling the chains to test for any weaknesses, the sound ringing loudly through the room and into the corridor.

"Ahhh..." she heard a familiar voice behind her.

Sara instinctively tried to turn towards the sound but was unable to twist enough to see Damien behind her. The movement shot jolts of pain through her shoulder joints, and she couldn't help a moan escaping her lips.

"Now, now. Sara. Already in pain. Why, why, I haven't even started yet..." he chuckled, sounding amused.

"What do you want Damien!" Sara growled.

"I think we both know what I want," Damien whispered into Sara's ear from behind, having closed the distance without a sound.

Sara startled at his unexpected proximity, and when Damien ran his fingertips along Sara's spine the hair in her neck stood up.

"Don't you dare touch me, you pig!" Sara hissed, trying to move away from his touch.

Damien laughed at that, his hand now travelling to Sara's front, over her abs before settling on her right breast, kneading it tenderly.

"Why so hostile?" he whispered again, his tongue running along Sara's neck. +

Sara tried to move again, feeling disgusted from his touch and the cold feeling of his drying saliva on her skin.

"I will kill you!" she hissed, eyes ablaze with hate.

Damien snorted. "I know you are good Sara, very good indeed, but I don't think your current situation will get you even close to killing me."

"I am not scared, Damien!"

  
Darhk chuckled again. "Oh, I know. But you should be...!" he whispered, pain suddenly erupting in Sara's back.

Sara clenched her jaw shut, her head leaned back, the muscles in her neck standing out, straining, her body rigid. She wouldn't make a sound, she would not give Damien that satisfaction. The pain increased and stars started to dance in front of Sara's eyes.

She could feel warm blood run down her legs, pooling around her feet, and it felt like Damien was ripping off her skin in strips. Tears were running down her face; still, she made no sound. When she finally lost consciousness, Damien stopped the torture, stepped around her and waved at the camera, smiling sweetly bowing as he had just given a theatrical performance to an audience asking for more. He blew a kiss at the camera before taking a swing at Sara's rips with his fist, making her limp body sway in the chains.

  
Ava was listening to the Legends arguing for a while about the best tactics to get their Captain back, having zoomed out of the discussion to try and look at the problem from all possible angles.

  
"Incoming transmission!" Gideon suddenly announced, and the bridge went quiet in an instance.

  
"Well, who is it?" Ava asked annoyed.

  
"Unknown Caller."

  
"Well, put it on then, Gideon!" Ava huffed.

  
The hologram flickered in and out of focus for a few seconds but when it finally focused Ava gasped in horror. Sara Lance was chained to the ceiling of some dingy room, naked and probably unconscious, her thigh a bloody mess from the arrow, a few bruises discolouring parts of her body.

  
"Sara!" Mick whispered, and Ava wasn't sure she had never seen him look so scared. Zari gasped out loud, her hand seeking Amayas for comfort, while Ray and Nate stood there horrified. They watched Sara wake up, clearly disorientated for a few minutes, saw her rattling the chains, her expression shifting from uncertainty, to dread, to fury within seconds. They watched in horror as Damien Darhk appeared out of nowhere behind her, touching her, groping her.

Ava felt like she was about to vomit with disgust. They heard the verbal exchange and when the torture started everyone except Ava averted their eyes, tears running down their faces for their captain. Ava could not look away, she watched Sara battling to keep quiet, she saw how her body strained against the excruciating pain, she watched the blood pooling beneath Sara's feet and finally saw her go limp, having lost consciousness. She observed the crazy motherfucker waving at them, bowing before landing a devastating bow in Sara's ribs.

Ava's face betrayed no emotion. She looked calm, unbothered almost. But when she spoke, her voice was dripping with hate, and the legends looked at her in surprise. Ava was still staring at the limp form of Sara, still bleeding profusely.

"Gideon, trace the signal!"

"I already did, Director Sharp. I am only getting parts of the origin, and we won't be able to find her with it."

"Damn it!" Ava growled jaw clenched.

Suddenly the picture changed, curtains appeared to be drawn close, and the excited voice of a theatre director rang through the bridge:

"What an amazing performance! Come again, watch again, be part of history in the making. The next show is tomorrow, same time, same place."

With that, the transmission ended abruptly.

"What are we gonna do?" Amaya said, her voice quivering badly.

"I don't know," Ava said honestly.

"It is your fault! You and your fucking bureau!" Zari sobbed.

"I don't think he wants to kill her - at least not yet." Ray offered hesitantly.

"I think he is sending a message to us," Nate said quietly, "maybe we find out more tomorrow?"

"He will torture her again," Mick said, looking devastated.

When Ava was home after having exhausted any possibility to trace the signal with Gideon and Bureau resources to no avail, she sat on her couch, unmoving.

Ava could not shake the picture of Sara's body straining against the pain while the blood started to pool underneath her toes.

If Ava was honest, she had always seen her as an asset or a weapon to be more precise.

Of course, Sara was a human being. Ava knew that. Sara was also a superhero, an ex-assassin with unmatched close combat skills. Sara had died twice and come back from the dead twice too.

To Ava, Sara had seemed somehow indestructible, undefeatable like some machine - almost as if average mortality wasn't a concept that applied to the captain of the wave rider.

Seeing her naked hanging in chains with no uniform to cover her very human skin, bearing unimaginable pain, her bright blood red against her white skin had made her look so vulnerable, so fragile that Ava's heart clenched in her chest.

Ava felt guilt wash over her, guilt for being the one ordering her people into battles, ordering the Legends to risk life and limp in a war they had not started.

And yet, Ava knew that this was what war meant - soldiers dying, generals strategising, battles being won and lost with rising body counts. This was war and she, Ava Sharp had no choice but to be the general calling the shots.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this isn't getting any easier for our beloved captain for a few more chapters. Said it before, saying it again: be warned, this will escalate going forward :/

Everyone was dreading the next day; the atmosphere on the bridge was dire; the anxiety almost palpable. Zari was pacing the room, dark circles under her eyes indicating that she probably hadn't slept. Ray's eyes were red-rimmed, while Mick sat in a corner only staring into space.

Ava stood in the spot Sara used to occupy when running the ship, her hands clasped, her face neutral and composed. She was the general, she could not show weakness in the face of adversity, and seeing Sara as anything other than an asset or a weapon would neither help Sara nor Ava or the Legends.

  
"Gideon, as soon as the transmission comes in I need you to start tracking it."

"Yes, Director Sharp."

  
Sara woke up feeling exhausted. She wasn't chained to the ceiling, sometime during her unconsciousness somebody must have taken her down and dropped her in the corner of the room. Sara's back was hurting severely, and she had bled all over the spot she was currently lying in too.

When she tried to move, it felt like someone was dragging rusty forks over her skin, peeling it from her bones. Sara allowed herself to wince, her face scrunching up in agony. She was freezing, her naked form being exposed to the cold concrete floor and the chilly air around her.

  
When the transmission started, everyone stared at Sara's naked form, dumped in the corner of the room. She was stirring slightly, finally waking up. Pain was visible on her face, and dried blood caked her legs and the floor around her.

"Oh my god, Sara..." Amaya sobbed, seeking comfort in Zaris embrace.

Ava watched Sara move, her face visibly displaying pain, but her eyes did not look broken. "Good girl," Ava whispered, "keep fighting. I will get you out of there!"

Nothing happened for a while, Sara tried to get up, failing at it due to the discomfort she felt in her raw back. The tension in the room grew to an unbearable level, with everyone expecting things to escalate soon, waiting for Darhk to make his move as if he was some ceremonial master.

  
Sara was trying hard to sort her head, she was in pain, but that was something she could deal with for quite a while. She knew there was more torture awaiting her, and although she was scared she was sure she could withstand it for some time. The question was, however, how long "some time" would be.

She was convinced that Damien had done everything possible to keep the location hidden, chances that she would be found quickly were probably very slim. The next question was, what Damien wanted from her - was he looking for information? Sara thought frantically, but nothing of importance came to her mind, what did he want from her?

  
"Good Morning sunshine!" Damien said, suddenly appearing next to Sara making her flinch involuntarily.

"How are you feeling my dear?" he said sweetly.

Sara stared at him before spitting at his feet. "You bastard!"

  
"So rude!" Damiens responded, sounding annoyed, before kicking Sara hard in the face. Her head snapped back from the kick, and her face exploded with pain, blood was starting to run from a deep cut in her lip and her nose.   
The Legends watched in terror when Damien appeared and violently kicked her in the face after the Captain spit at his feet.

"Gosh, Sara!" Ava gasped, watching fresh blood running over her face. "Don't antagonise him!" she whispered, her fists clenching.

  
Sara was dizzy from the kick, but before she could recover Damien magically lifted her and chained her back on the ceiling. Sara shoulders violently protesting against the abuse with searing pain. Sara groaned, coughing hard, blood spraying in misty droplets. Damien danced around her like a madman, whistling softly.

"Such a dirty little pet. Full of blood...!" Damien closed the distance, kissing Sara's breast and sucking at her nipples, making the captain squirm in disgust. Damien's hands were running over Sara's abdomen and her thighs, pinching and stroking like she was his lover. He dragged his tongue over her breast and rips, licking her, tasting her. He hummed and hissed, clearly enjoying the feel of Sara's skin under his lips.

  
Ava shuddered, the hair in neck standing up from disgust when she watched Damien touch and kiss the chained woman. A beer bottle shattered on a wall across from Mick. "I'll kill him. I'll rip his fucking dick off!" he growled.

When Damien seemed sated, he stepped back from Sara, watching her closely.

"Now, my little pet. What are we gonna do today..."

Sara stared at him, holding his gaze.

"Do your worst!" she snarled.

"Ahhh, not yet my pet. Not yet. You have always been impatient haven't you?" he sounded almost lovingly. Damien turned away from her, facing the camera, bowing to his audience. "I hope you will enjoy today's performance!"

  
He started to circle Sara again when a small flame began to dance on his open palm. "Are you cold, Sara?" he asked innocently, standing behind his unsuspecting victim.

"Fuck you!" Sara growled, bracing for whatever he had planned.

  
Ava watched with dread as the small flame left Damien's hand and settled on Sara's shoulder, charing and blistering the sensitive skin there. Sara jolted in her chains, trying desperately to move away from the flame. Her jaw was clenched shut, but her eyes were bulging, and tears were running down her face.

The flame started to wander excruciatingly slow and aimlessly across her body, burning her skin, blistering and charing anything along its way. Sara moaned and whimpered, not able to stay silent.

"Yeeees, scream for me, baby... Give Daddy what he needs!" Damien hissed, his eyes gleaming with desire and madness.

  
After what felt like hours, Damien stopped his administrations. Sara was hanging slack in her chains, yet not unconscious like last time. She was crying and whimpering from unbearable pain. With a flick of his wrist, the chains opened, and Sara fell to the ground hard.

Another wave of Damien's hand pushed her limp body into a corner of the room, and without another glance Damien left, not bothering to look at the camera. A collective sigh ran through the bridge of the Waverider. Everyone was somehow relieved that Damien was done for today, but they could tell from the way Sara's hands opened and closed as if the were looking for something to hold on too that their Captain was on the brink of breaking.

Ava watched Sara, and she couldn't help but pity her. Sara's hands were clenching and unclenching, and Ava remembered how they had clutched Ava's shoulders for support when she had held the injured Captain. The transmission went black, showing an invitation for more the next day.

"Gideon?" Ava asked desperately.

"I am sorry, Director Sharp, I couldn't get a sharp signature, but I was able to fill some blank spots from the readings yesterday."

Ava's head snapped up, "That's good!" she said excitedly. "This means that with a few more readings we'll get the location!"

"Are you mad?" Zari snarled angrily. "You are aware that a few more readings also mean a few more torture sessions for Sara right?"

Ava blushed but did not avert her eyes. "I am aware of this fact, Ms Tomas. As I said before, Sara is a tough woman.."

"SHE IS HUMAN, she always was and always will be!"Zari screamed, frustration at Ava boiling over. "All you see is her past, her abilities to fight. To you, she is just a weapon, made of steel, unbreakable and undefeatable. But guess what - I have seen her having nightmares, I have seen her cry, I have seen her break down after missions, I have seen the hurt in her eyes when you treated her like she wasn't even human!"

"Zari, please.." Amaya sighed, taking her hand and tugging her towards the kitchen. Ava swallowed hard. "I know she is human," Ava whispered quietly. "We all are, aren't we...?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this is rather twisted and cruel. Be warned please :/ It will be quite dark for some more chapters but bear with me, I am a sucker for happy endings.

Sara couldn't move. Every time she tried to get up her wounds protested with searing pain, fresh blood starting to run over her skin.

Sara felt feeble, and although she was naked and the room was cold, she was feeling like she was burning up inside. Sweat covered Sara's body, her mouth was dry, and she knew that she was probably running a fewer.

Sara felt exhausted, yet the pain was too intense to allow her to rest. She was thirsty but knew that relieve wasn't coming. Whatever Damien planned, Sara would be in for a very bumpy ride.

Sorrow engulfed her. She knew she would probably die in this room if her crew or the bureau did not manage to rescue her in time - or if Damien decided she was no longer useful for him.

A single tear was running down Sara's cheek, her eyes snapping up to the camera.

"Please, help me!" she whispered desperately.

  
"Incoming transmission," Gideon informed the crew and Ava who had been on the bridge for most of the night, trying frantically to come up with anything that would help them save their captain.

Everyone held their breath when the picture of Sara crouched in the corner of the room sprang to life. They could tell she was in tremendous pain, as even the tiniest movement made her face scrunch up, small groans escaping her.

Zari couldn't watch her suffer and buried herself in Amaya's chest. Ava looked at the struggling captain, and her heart broke a little. Sara looked so human, fragile and lonely. Life did throw Sara Lance some curve balls, Ava thought regretfully.

Ava watched as Sara managed to push herself in an upright position, noticing fresh trickles of blood running down her skin wherever Sara's crusty wounds broke open from the movement.

Sara looked drained, her lips rough from beginning dehydration. When Sara's eyes found the camera, Ava felt a sting in her heart - Sara's eyes seemed to bore straight into Ava's soul when she begged for help. Desperation and loneliness were so apparent now that Ava just wanted to take her in her arms and assure her she wasn't alone. Ava briefly wondered where the compassion for Sara Lance suddenly came from but pushed the thought away when Damien appeared in front of Sara.

  
"How are we today my love?" Damien asked casually, smiling sweetly.

"I need water.." Sara managed to say, teeth shattering from shivers now. "Do you now?" Damien asked fondly before snapping his fingers, chains appearing out of nowhere attaching themselves to Sara's wrists and ankles, hanging her from the ceiling.

The sudden movement and stretching of her body caused Sara's wounds to break open forcibly, making the blonde woman yelp in pain that changed into low groans that pierced right through everyone's heart who watch her.

  
"What do we do today, hm?" Damien asked, watching Sara with a wicked glint in his eyes.

Sara moaned and lifted her head, staring into the camera.

"Please..." she whispered before a taser lodged itself into her thigh.

Sara's face contorted, her mouth open, eyes bulging but no sound left her mouth.

"STOP IT! YOU GONNA KILL HER!" Amaya shouted at the image before her, her hands digging into Zaris back.

Electricity shot through Sara, and as much as she needed to scream, she couldn't. Her whole body went into shock, and she couldn't even blink. The electricity ran through her for what felt like an eternity, the pain was unbearable, and her heart started to skip into an irregular rhythm.

When Damien finally stopped, Sara couldn't breathe anymore, her heart stopped beating, and she drifted off into the welcome arms of death.

Ava knew immediately that something was wrong when Sara went limp, her eyes losing all focus.  
"She's dying!" Ava whispered, fear clenching her heart in an iron grip. "Sara.." Ray wailed in desperation.

"Oh nononono! You are not taking the easy way out, Sara. Not today anyway!" Damien puffed, his hand making an intricate movement in front of Sara's sternum.

With a jolt the ex-assassins heart started to beat again, the blond woman gasping for air, her eyes wide with fear and horror.

"Ah, that's better isn't it?" Damien said before tossing Sara back into the corner of the room with a flick of his hand. He turned towards the camera and smiled.

"How do you like today's show? Quite dramatic I think? Well, fasten your seatbelts, this is going to get A LOT more interesting today. Stay tuned!"

With a wink and another flick of his wrist, Sara was lifted from the ground and stretchered on the metal table, the leather straps closing tightly around her wrists and ankles, her legs pulled apart.

She was breathing but seemed to be drifting in an out of consciousness. Damien bent over the tortured woman and captured her swollen and damaged lips in a bruising kiss.

"Sweetheart, you needed water, did you not?" he said, lightly stroking her hair before snapping his fingers. A bucket with water appeared in his hand.

"Well, let's give you what you need then!" he grunted, slowly starting to let the water run over Sara's mouth and nose, making it hard for her to breathe without swallowing water.

Sara soon began to thrash on the table, the feeling of drowning stirring up memories from her past. She opened her mouth to scream, only letting more water flood her windpipe. She coughed and sputtered, twisting and turning her head to get a chance at some air but Damien expertly matched her movements.

"Waterboarding..." Ava whimpered, fearing for the captain.

"He already killed her once today, I will end him. I will make sure he will die the slowest, painful death I can think of!" Mick grunted, his face contorted with rage.

  
Sara couldn't breathe, water was clogging her airways, and when she coughed more water entered her windpipe. The pain in her lung became unbearable, the lack of oxygen making her movements became slower and slower until she finally blacked out. Damien discarded the bucket with a flick of his hand, smiling into the camera before clearing Sara's airways with another flick of his hand.

"Ok folks, glad you could join. Let's get the party started shall we?" Damien said, laughing loudly.

"What the hell is he planning!" Amaya whined, "Sara can't take anymore!"

"Director Sharp."

Ava did not react, watching the still form of Sara laying there, unprotected in her nakedness, wet and cold, barely alive and bleeding.

"Director Sharp," Gideon said again.

"Huh? Oh, yes, Gideon."

"I have nearly traced the location, if the transmission keeps steady for another half an hour I will be able to pinpoint Sara's location."

Ava nodded somberly. Mick growled like a mad tiger, turning in his heels and leaving the bridge, only to come back seconds later armed with his gun.

"He'll die today," Mick stated, making the others turn, breaking the stupor they were all in.  
"Let's get armed, Legends!" Zari snarled.

Nothing happened for a few minutes, Damien vanished leaving a shivering Sara to herself. Suddenly, someone was shouting Sara's name, making her lift her head weakly.

"Captain Lance?" someone called, sounding oddly familiar.

"Here.." Sara croaked, too weak to muster any recognisable volume.

"Sara, where are you?" the voice shouted, closer now.

"Here..!" Sara whispered, not daring to get her hopes up.

Ava swallowed hard at the image in front of her. This couldn't be happening. The legends were staring at her now, their faces displaying utter shock when Ava entered the room where Sara lay.

"That...that...I..." Ava studdered confused and horrified.

"A clone...!" Amaya muttered shocked as they watched the other Ava bend over Sara, stroking her hair and whispering to her.

"I got you, Sara, I have you. You save with me now!"

Sara looked into the blue eyes of Ava Sharp, her mind fuzzy and unable to process what was happening. "Ava? Is it you...?"

"Yes, Sara. It is me. I am here. I will protect you!"

"My team...?" Sara whispered, her eyes now searching the room frantically. "They are dead, Sara. I am so sorry. They are all gone."

Sara's face went deathly pale, and she strained against the leather straps.

  
Ava gasped loudly on the bridge, watching herself tell lies to the captain while touching Sara tenderly.

Tears were flowing down Sara's face. "No, no,no.. they can't be... their not dead...!"

"I am so sorry Sara. They died fighting to rescue you." "NO!" Sara groaned, her voice hoarse, eyes wide with shock.

"The Bastard, this horrible, cruel son of a bitch..!" Zarai howled in desperation.

"Yes Sara, it is only you and me now," Ava whispered in Sara's ear, tenderly stroking her bruised skin, fingertips dancing lightly over areas of unbroken skin, her other hand gently stroking Sara's face and hair, the ex-assassin leaning into her touch for comfort and companionship.

"How..."

"Shhhh, Sara. Don't speak. Let me take care of you, hm?"Ava whispered, placing gentle kisses on Sara's lips and eyes, tracing her skin with the tip of her tongue.

Sara's eyes fluttered shut, her body desperate for human contact, for touch that wouldn't hurt her. Sara was shivering badly now, the fever spiking, her mind fuzzy. Ava was here to save her! Ava was here to keep her safe, make her feel better. Sara wasn't alone anymore. Ava would protect her now.

A low moan escaped Sara when Ava's lip danced across undamaged skin along her body, her hips twitching upwards involuntarily when the clone' s fingertips danced lightly over her mound.

Ava watched in loathing when her clone started to seduce Sara, feeling weirdly detached watching the other woman kissing and teasing the injured woman.

"He is fucking with her mind..." Amaya sighed.

Sara's eyes were closed, her broken body focusing on the sweet sensation of arousal and the tender touch of the clone, the one woman that Sara never managed to get on her side.

It felt so good, and she wanted to let herself fall into the safety and security of Ava's touch and kisses, but a nagging feeling in her confused mind kept her from giving up all control.

"Let go, sweet princess... let go, and all will be ok. I promise. I love you, Sara, I always did. You are safe with me.. just let go!" Ava whispered in between kisses, her mouth placing tender kisses on Sara's mound, making the other woman gasp and whine with arousal.

"Ava... I...I...."

"Shhhh... just let go!" the clone whispered again, as her fingers entered Sara in a slow, tender rhythm.

The Legends watched with a mixture of horror and embarrassment.

"OUT. EVERYBODY OUT!" Ava shouted suddenly. "Give your captain a chance to keep some of her dignity!" she snarled at them.

They left without a word, blushing and murmuring to themselves. Ava tried to avert her eyes, but the scene was so surreal that she could not watch the other Ava seduce the captain, finally making her orgasm hard.

Sara twitched and moaned, the movements causing her pain and pleasure at the same time. The twitching of her body caused further bleeding, while the orgasm messed up Sara's mind even more.

Sara panted hard into Ava's chest when she came down. Ava was cradling her head lovingly, soothing her, calming her with soft hands.

"You are safe, I told you. I love you, Sara." Ava crooned, kissing Sara gently, tenderly like a lover.

"You do?"

"Yes, Sara. Trust me... I do love you! Just let go."

Anger started to bubble up in Ava, her fists clenching. "Gideon? I need the reading now. This has to stop!"

"Nearly there, Agent Sharp. Only a few more minutes."

Sara locked eyes with the clone, a warning voice in her head nagging that she was still tied to the table, she was still not safely back on the waverider, but Ava's eyes were so blue, so tender, so gentle. Sara wanted to let go, let herself fall into the other woman. Then, Damien was back appearing next to Ava.

"Gideon, call the Legends back!" Ava shouted as soon as he appeared next to her clone, watching in horror as Damien flashed a smile at Sara.

"Isn't she lovely, this Ava of yours!" Damien asked menacingly.

"What..." Sara said, looking confused between the two.

"Oh, she isn't what you think she is Sara. She is with me. Always has, always will be!"

Ava watched as her clone started to smile like the devil herself, her nails suddenly and mercilessly dragging over Sara's broken skin, making her scream in pain.

"No one loves you, Sara. You are evil. Everybody knows that you are death itself." Ava laughed, nails still clawing at Sara's wounds.

Sara screamed until her voice broke, her eyes never leaving Ava's cold blue orbs, devoid of all feelings for her.

Sara wasn't sure how long Ava clawed at her flesh, the pain was so intense that she lost her sense for time and space. When her vocal cords gave out, she screamed in silence, watching the cold hatred in Ava's eyes understanding suddenly that for her there was no love, no healing out there.

  
Sara's heart broke, darkness overcame her and something stirred inside her that Sara believed to had beaten a long time ago.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor Lance... I hope she can come back.

Damien observed Sara, he knew once she was pushed past a certain point, the blood lust would resurface, giving him the weapon he needed to finally give him the upper hand in this war.

The torture of Sara Lance had only been an enjoyable prelude, the first step of weakening her barriers and getting her desperate for affection and tenderness. The grand finale was betraying her trust over and over again, to break her down, killing off all hopes she had left for a life filled with love and tenderness. 

He knew that once he was done with Sara, there wouldn't be much left of her, but he did not care. He did not care about anything other then Nora and himself - Sara Lance was a vessel, a means to an end of years and years of fighting the god damn time bureau and their formidable leader Ava Sharp.

He had to acknowledge that the woman was unrivalled in strategising in battle, she was cold-blooded enough to be a capable general for the troops at her disposal. As much as he begrudgingly admired her skills; however, he was tired of her.

Ava Sharp, the bureau and those god damn Legends had to go - and destroying Sara Lance was the way to do it. Sara was chaos on legs, bull-headed and messy. Yet, she was also the glue that kept the Legends so tightly together, making them seemingly invincible.

Sara Lance was also the fiercest and bravest warrior Damien had ever met. Her loyalty to the cause meant that she would always give her absolute all to defend her believes and the ones she loved or respected. Damien was scared of her, truly scared and seeing her broken down like this right now gave him immense personal satisfaction and peace of mind.

When the clone tortured her after misusing her trust, he watched for telltale signs of the last barriers to break. It did not take long, he saw the hurt, the agony and the dying of her soul - her eyes vast and empty for a few seconds. Then, Sara Lance's eyes turned red, and she started to smile.

"Hello, pet!" Damien cooed, reaching out to stroke her cheek but jumped back startled when Sara snapped at him like a rabid wolf, growling, her eyes burning like hot embers.

"Ah, I see!" he smiled happily, turning towards Ava clone. "You, stay here and watch her, keep doing what you did when she fights against her blood lust again. I will be back soon!" With that, he disappeared.

Ava watched Sara's face relax into the touch of her clone, watched her seek out the warmth and basic comfort of the clones touches, craving it like a fish wanted water. It was sad and beautiful to watch, but then Ava witnessed her expression change when her clone betrayed her, tortured her, told her those awful things.

Ava could almost physically feel Sara's heart shatter into a million pieces at those cruel words. She watched Sara's eyes change, watch her snap at Damien like she was a feral being, dispising the immense satisfaction on Damien's face.

"What the hell...?" Ava said before turning to Gideon."Gideon - now would be an excellent time for some help!"

  
"I have the location, just calculating the remaining coordinates... Ok, transmitted."

"Let's go!" Ava commanded, opening a portal immediately.

The facility was a former military installation outside of Berlin, an old Russian airbase to be precise. It took the team a while to find the right building, cautiously pressing forward, expecting some form of attack or ambush at any moment.

However, the base was eerily quiet, and they were able to find the room they were looking for unharmed. When the team entered, the blood on the floor proved that Sara had been here just recently. Now though, Sara, Ava's clone and Darhk were gone.

"Damn it.." Ava sighed. The Legends looked lost, this had been their one chance to get to Sara, to try and reverse the damage done to her and they had failed.

  
The following days were a blur for Sara, she was very hurting badly.  An infection had taken hold of her body, burning her from the inside, making her brain slow to process everything that was happening. Every day she craved a little bit more for some basic human comfort. 

Ava's clone gave it to Sara willingly, building physical and emotional closeness by being incredibly tender and loving with Sara for a while. Yet every time the clone ended her administrations with more pain and torture for Sara until there was nothing left inside the Captain but uncontrollable fear of having someone close to her.

Finally, something inside of Sara gave in. She allowed the darkness that dwelled inside her to take over entirely, obliterating all pain and filling the emptiness and devastation that hurt her soul so badly. Sara couldn't really process what was happening to her, only that it felt good to no longer be a victim, no longer be exposed to this cold and cruel love.

She felt no longer human, and maybe that was for the best. The killing had always been easy for her, living with her kills had not - this thing inside her changed this entirely - she was ready for more blood to be spiled.

"Incoming transmission!" Gideon announced a few days later, displaying a set of coordinates.

"What's this?" Ray asked.

"An invitation for battle!" Mick grunted. "Let's go!"

A portal opened just then, and Ava stepped onto the bridge, having received a call from Gideon.

"We can't just barrel into a fight, guns blazing!" Ava snorted sarcastically.

"Oh yes, we can," Mick growled.

"Just ping the fucking bureau the coordinates for back up, and let's move. I don't think Sara has enough time on her hands to plan a full-on war." Zari snarled.

Ava contemplated for a bit, before making a decision. If there ever was a battle worth dying for it was this. Ava still did not like Sara Lance, that had not changed. She was no fool, Ava would never mistake pity for affection - she was loyal, however, and if Sara deserved something, it was at least a try at rescuing her. Also, if she could help it, she would make sure that Damien Darhk would not use the bureaus most effective weapon against its own people - and the Legends of course. Ava quickly hailed Agent Green, giving him a rapid briefing of the situation.

  
"Alright, I have ordered back up. Are we ready?" Ava said commandingly.

Nate looked at Ava stunned. "You are coming?"

"Yes, Mr Heywood!"

"I mean, you are coming with the Legends?" Ava sighed.

"Mr Heywood, get a grip will you and prepare for battle!" Nate swallowed hard, admiration flashing across his face.

  
When they opened the portal to the coordinates, Nora and Damien Darhk were already waiting for them, standing in a clearing, surrounded by ruined buildings. To Nora's left was Ava's clone, looking calm and relaxed while Sara was kneeling next to Damien, her neck chained to his belt, her face contorting as if she was a wild beast waiting to get to its prey. Sara was gnarling her teeth, growling and hissing, eyes red with fury.

"Easy there, pet. You can go to battle in a second!" Damien said, patting Sara's head as if she was his dog.

  
"SARA!" Zari shouted, but no sign of recognition flashed across Sara's face, making Zari gasping in horror. "What has he done to her...?" she whispered.

  
"What do you want Damien!" Ava said, walking towards the pair. Shoulders squared and fully erect radiating with power and authority- she wasn't afraid to die, and she would never bow to Damien.

  
"I only want two small things. First, I want you dead, Ms Sharp. Don't take it personally, but you have been a nuisance for a few years now and frankly - I am out of patience. Second, I want those Legends eradicated from the face of the earth. Their fearless Captain here will help me with these tasks." Damien smirked, pulling the chain roughly making Sara stumble sideways.

  
"Let her go, Damien," Ava commanded calmly.

"You sure you want this back? She is an animal, a demon, a killing machine! Not sure you want something like this back on the team." he laughed heartily.

  
"She is OUR captain, you filthy bastard - we will NEVER give up on her!" Mick growled, firing a surprise shot at Darhk how lazily ducked away.

  
"Tztztz, not very nice, Mr Rory!" Damien snarled driving an invisible blow into Mick's chest, making him stumble backwards several meters.

  
"Just bring it on, Damien. We'll decide what to do with Sara once you are dead." Ava said, calm and collected, her face set in hard lines.

  
"For once, Ms Sharpe, your wish is my command!" Damien laughed, ripping the chains of Sara's neck, immediately attacking Ava with vicious strikes and kicks, driving her backwards with the sheer force of the blows. Ava managed to regain her footing, starting to match Sara's intensity, evening out the battle between them. The Legends simply stood and watched on for a few minutes before Ava snarled. "A bit of help here, if you please!"

"DO NOT KILL HER!" Mick growled before starting to engage the Ava clone.

"I...will...try...my...best", Ava huffed in between blocking a flurry of kicks and punches from the smaller woman. The ensuing battle was vicious and bloody, the Legends taking on Damien and his daughter, a platoon of agents trying to deal with the Ava clone with Mick's help.

The fighting went on for hours and in hindsight, was decided by sheer luck. Nate had somehow managed to land a vicious attack on Nora, knocking her out cold, causing Damien to lose focus for a second as he focused on his daughter. Mick used the drop in concentration to fire a few shots at him, injuring him gravely with a big hole in his chest, spurting blood. Before Damien had a chance to do anything resembling magic Mick was by his side.

Damien looked up into Mick's face, smiling sarcastically. The last thing Damien Darhk saw before he died was Mick Rory's boot coming down hard on his face, breaking his bones and trampling his head into the ground. Nora Darhk was quickly tied and secured by Ray, who took her back into the holding cell of the Waverider before rejoining the legends to help with the Ava Clone.

They all knew of course that Ava was a formidable fighter herself, having held her own against Sara more than once yet the ferocity the clone displayed in her attacks surprised them nevertheless. In the end, Zari got the better of the clone, killing her with a clean and satisfying strike to the neck. It felt wired to kill something that looked exactly like Ava, and as Ava saw herself fall to the ground from the corner of her eyes, she flustered for a second giving Sara a chance to land some hard blows square in her ribs.

Ava couldn't breathe properly, and Sara knew her opponent was ready for the final blow. Ava was still able to hold her off, but her movements became less coordinated quickly from the lack of oxygen. She was tiring out fast when the Legends came to her aid. A coordinated attack did the trick, knocking Sara out cold.

Ava bent over breathing hard, while Nate quickly secured Sara so she wouldn't be a danger once waking up.

Zari knelt next to Sara, stroking her face gently. "We got you, Captain, we will get you back! I swear!" Zari was crying silently, Amaya standing next to her squeezing her shoulder.

"Let's get her to the medbay" Ava ordered, finally able to breath more comfortable again.

Ava was anxious about Sara, and although Ava had just won the biggest battle in her life, she couldn't really celebrate it. Ava had seen the eyes of a very furious and very dead person staring at her from Sara's face. As much as the Legends wanted Sara to be ok, Ava wasn't sure there was any way to get the old Sara back or if there was actually even enough left of Sara Lance that could be brought back. Maybe Damien was right, and by now she was simply a vessel for the bloodlust?

  
The mood was very sombre in the medbay. Gideon started Sara's healing process immediately, sending Sara into a deep coma to give her time to recover without being bound.

"I am afraid there will be extensive scaring!" the AI said.

"Doesn't matter, as long as she lives!" Zari snarled.

"What about her mental condition?" Ava asked tentatively.

"I can't tell," Gideon said simply. Ava sighed, pinching her nose.

"I have to get back to the bureau, some things need to be done now that the war is over - and we need to have a plan what to do with Ms Lance, she can't stay in her coma forever."

"What do you mean," Mick grunted, "she still is our captain!"

"No, Mr Rory. I am afraid that at the moment Sara is everything Damien Darhk warned us about - right now, she is a weapon that's ready to kill. She is to be considered dangerous - very dangerous."

Mick was about to have a go at Ava, but Amaya lifted her hand, looking devastated.

"Wait, Mick. Ava's right... this isn't our Sara anymore."

Ava looked at her in surprise, and when she spoke next, she sounded a lot softer then the Legends were used to. "We will do everything we can to bring her back - I promise you! For the meantime, Mr Palmer, please watch Ms Darhk for me. Ms Jiwe, please keep me updated on Ms Lance condition. Oh, and Ms Jiwe - you are acting Captain for as long as Ms Lance is incapacitated." Ava said, nodding to the team courtly before leaving the Waverider.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, where there is darkness there is light I suppose... but like anything in life, roads aren't mean to be straight and smooth right ;) That also means that although I am a sucker for happy endings, this will be quite a few chapters away.

Ava had a hectic week after defeating Damien as things needed to get sorted and reorganised with a few more clean-up operations on the way.

However, Ava felt strangely elated, the constant threat of Damien finally lifted from her shoulders. She felt like she could breathe freely for the first time in well over a year.

Her employes noticed the change as well, Ava was softer now, smiling more often, the rigid stiffness that used to be her trademark changed for more graceful and fluid movements when she walked.

The Legends noticed the change in Ava too, she was easier on them, more supportive and even gave them credit where it was due.

Ava and Amaya seemed to have found a new closeness, natural conversations leading to both women quickly opening up to each other on a more personal level.

Zari noticed Amaya's fondness for Ava, and although she trusted Amayas instincts when it came to people almost blindly, she couldn't forget Ava's harshness towards the Legends and especially Sara so quickly.

"She is a good woman, Zari. The burden she was carrying would have broken most people - give her chance." Amaya had said one morning when they were discussing Ava.

"Hm. I am not convinced." Zari mumbled.

"Please, princess. For me?" Amaya said teasingly, plastering Zari's face with tender kisses, making her blush.

"Ok, ok...anything for you!" she smiled back at Amaya.

When Ava had dealt with most of the fallout of ending the war, she had time to tackle the one big problem that still needed to be addressed. Sara Lance, currently in a coma, needed to be dealt with somehow.

Ava sighed - what was she to do?

Gideon and Amaya had informed her daily about her progressing health, the wounds healing nicely yet with severe scarring as Gideon had predicted.

Ava wasn't worried about Sara physical health at all, the woman was tough as nails, and her body would recover in no time.

Her mental state, however, was a whole other story neither she nor Amaya or Gideon had any clue how to solve.   
Ray Palmer seemed to have formed a special bond with Nora over the last few days, convinced that she acted more out of fear and twisted loyalty to her father than her own motives.

He had help transfer her safely into a much larger and more comfortable holding cell in bureau HQs, visiting her daily for talks and discussion ranging from magic to science to personal things.

Lately, the more personal side of things had taken over most of their conversations, with both forming a deeper understanding of each other. Ava needed to address this situation as well, still undecided if Nora should be put on trial or given a chance at redemption. She sighed and pinched her nose, contemplating her options.

  
A few hours later, Amaya went to check up on Sara and was startled to found Ava sitting in a chair next to Sara.

"You ok?" Amaya asked softly, not meaning to disturb the other woman.

"Yeah. I guess I am." Ava said quietly, her gaze never leaving Sara's face. The ex-assassin looked peaceful and vulnerable, no sneer, wink or overly flirtatious look creating a barrier against anyone wanting to get closer to her.

"She always liked you, you know," Amaya said, standing next to Sara on the other side of the chair. "Huh?" Ava said, looking up in surprise.

"She always longed for your approval, I could tell every time you two argued about missions and stuff how much your opinion of her really meant to her. That's why she always got so defensive around you. Sara's way of dealing with things is...well...it sucks." Amaya chuckled.

"Why?" Ava asked, puzzled by Amaya's words. "I always thought she hated me."

"Na, she never did. The first time you guys met, you left your mark on her. I remember when the Legends came back after they broke into the bureau. It was so funny, the way she was talking about you, how mad she was when at the same time, her eyes were giving her away so clearly. She was glowing when she talked about you, there was this sparkle in her eyes. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if she would have dealt with it differently..."

"Well...that's...uh...interesting," Ava said, blushing slightly, her eyes wandering back to Sara's face. A strand of hair was out of place, and Ava felt the strange urge to fix it for Sara.

"What do we do with her?" Ava said, sounding worried.

"I don't know, but..." Amaya trailed off.

Ava looked at her suspiciously.

"Amaya?"

"Well, look. Ray and Nora are quite close, and Ray being the person he is, obviously shared his concerns about Sara and how clueless we all are..." "Ok... and?"

"She has an idea, but it won't be easy, AND it would mean a lot of involvement on your part - if you're up for it of course."

Ava searched Sara's face, unsuccessfully trying to find the dislike she had felt for her so long.

"I guess I owe her that much?"

Amaya smiled at Ava. "Thank you!"

"What's next?" Ava asked

"Captain Lance needs to be out of her coma for at least a week before we can proceed with any other action." Gideon chimed in, sounding happy.

"Ok, then let's wake her in the holding cell, so we are not running any unnecessary risks?" Ava said resolutely.

"To administer further medication and care for her, I advise for some form of restraints!" Gideon said again.

"Good point," Amaya said, chewing her lips.

"Gideon, could you please manufacture something sturdy with enough cushioning that would fit our needs?" Ava asked calmly.

"Done." the AI replied.

"Amaya, could you fetch it while I take care of Sara, I'll meet you in the holding area."

Ava stepped forward, gently unclasping the medical monitoring attached to Sara's body. Ava couldn't help it and gently brushed the loose strand of hair behind Sara's ear, her fingertips grazing Sara skin lightly. It felt like she had touched an electric wire, invisible sparks forming between her and the Captain.

Ava carefully cradled the ex-assassin in her arms, lifting her out of the chair and adjusting the limp body in her arms. Sara's head rested on her shoulder, her warm breath tickling Ava's neck, the rest of her body pulled securely into Ava's body by the Director. How soft her skin was, Ava thought randomly, enjoying the feel of Sara's warm skin under her hands. She tried not to think about the goosebumps forming on her back, or how Sara's breath made the skin on her neck tingle.

Ava glanced at Sara's face, the freckles standing out on her face, paler than usual, the delicate bone structure of her face pronounced since Sara had lost some weight through her ordeal. "She is beautiful," Ava thought, pulling her closer with a sudden protectiveness of the vulnerable ex-assassin. Ava made her way to the holding cells, placing Sara gently on one of the bunk beds. She couldn't really believe that the beautiful woman would turn into a killing machine once she would wake up from her coma.

Ava sighed deeply, hoping that whatever plan Nora had would work out. It was amazing how everyone seemed to trust the woman who had been an enemy only a week ago. Ava trusted Ray's and Amaya's judgement, that was also a significant change. She had grown fond of Sara's team somehow.

  
Amaya joined her, and together they placed a rather intricate harness on the still unconscious woman, connecting her hands to the collar around her neck and feet. It came with a remote that allowed for the device to pull itself tight in certain spots, fixating the wearer to make it safe for anyone around Sara. Ava felt sorry for Sara, watching her bound into the harness like she was an untamed beast but knew there was nothing to be done about it for the moment. Ava noticed goosebumps on Sara's exposed skin, she was only clad in shorts and a sports bra to help her skin to heal. "Gideon, can you increase the temperature for Sara, please?"

"Right away, Director Sharp!"

"Ok, I think we are all set, what happens next Gideon?"

"The medically induced coma must be reversed, I have already administered the appropriate medication, and Captain Lance should be waking up in a few hours."

"Great, thanks, Gid!" Amaya said.

"I need to head back to the office for a bit, but will be back in time."

"All good Ava, we got this. I am sure you have plenty of more important things to do." Ava stared at Sara for a long time, before she whispered. "I am not sure I have...!"

Amaya looked at the Director with curiosity, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Well, your welcome on this ship anytime!" Ava squeezed Amaya's hand with gratitude.

"Thanks, I really appreciate this!"

  
Ava returned two hours later, having been informed by Gideon that Sara was starting to wake up. Ava took a seat outside the confinement barrier, watching Sara closely, when the other Legends joined her, anxiously anticipating how Sara would be once awake.

  
The blond woman stirred lightly before intense spasms took over that shook her whole body. Ava felt a strong urge to comfort the Captain but knew there was nothing to be done for now.  
When Sara opened her eyes, she looked disorientated, and it took her another half an hour to be able to sit up.

She stared around the room, her eyes as blue as the Adriatic sea in the summer. Sara's gaze settled on the Legends, almost as she was scanning their faces, but no signs of recognition were visible. When Sara's gaze finally fell on Ava, the reaction was immediate, multiple emotions showing on her face in brutal intensity.

First, there was such an intense longing that Ava's heart skipped a beat, Sara's hand reaching out to Ava as if she was looking for comfort from her. Then horror and fear suddenly turned Sara's hands into fists and twisted her face into a pitiful mask of panic. Ava gasped at the sight, realising the trauma her clone had caused the woman. Finally, rage took over within Sara, and her eyes turned red. She blacked her teeth, jumping at Ava, making her shrank back in shock.

Sara threw herself against the invisible barrier, growling and snarling like a lion, trying to attack the Director. She hit the wall with brutal force, again and again until Zari shouted. "Do something, just...just make her stop!" Ava reacted instantly, being pulled out of her reverie. She used the remote to make the harness pull itself close slowly, finally pulling Sara's hands to her side and her legs together to make her lay down. Sara could no longer move, her eyes were still blazing, however. 

"Ok." Amaya huffed, "that really was something!"

"Yes, but did you see Sara's reaction?" Ray shouted excitedly.

"Pretty scary!" Nate said quietly.

"No, guys, don't you get it? She was calm when she woke up, there was no blood lust, it only dominated her when she looked, Ava!"

"Ahhh great, and that is a good sign because...?" Ava asked, annoyed now. "Well, if you are the cause of her blood lust - then you are also the solution! Nora was right!"

"Right with what?" Ava asked sternly.

"Look, she said that Damien used you to break Sara, and if we were to reverse that by making her trust you without trauma and pain happening because of it, we might have a chance to start her mental recovery! That's amazing, isn't it?" staring at them, grinning from ear to ear.

"How..? I mean..?" Ava asked hesitantly, all eyes on her now.

"Well, it is simple, isn't it? You gotta do what your clone did.. just without the torture!" Ray said, almost impatiently.

"But..." Ava blushed, she had no intention on finger fucking Sara Lance without clear and rational intent from the Captain. Not that she had ever have had any plan to fuck Sara Lance, Ava scolded herself in her head immediately. Amaya cleared her throat, quickly understanding Ava's hesitation.

"Ava, what we mean is actually pretty simple. Take care of her as you would of an injured friend, make her feel safe and protected in your vicinity. I am sure that will be a big first step."

Ava nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Ok, but the Waverider isn't really the optimal place to do so, is it?"

"Yes, we thought so too. Now, if it's ok for you, we could transfer Sara into your flat, giving you privacy and more comfortable surroundings? We could set up a temporary safe zone, and you take it from there?"

Ava contemplated Amaya's suggestion, not feeling entirely comfortable with her having to sacrifice her own privacy. Ava huffed but understood that if she were serious about helping Sara Lance, she'd have to sacrifice something. "I guess it's ok, I mean at least we should try? If it doesn't work.. well...!"

"Let's cross the bridge when we get to it," Mick growled, before looking directly at Ava addressing her once more. "Fix her."

Ava was taken aback for a second before she understood the meaning of the words. Mick hadn't sound threatening at all, he was desperate to help Sara, and he counted on her.

"I will try my best," Ava answered softly. Mick nodded before he turned and left to hunt down a bottle of beer.   
Ray and Nate took care of Sara's transfer, while Zari set up temporary confinement in Ava's guestroom, allowing Sara access to the bathroom and bed whenever she liked.

When Ava was not in sight, Sara was calm, her eyes bright and blue yet not really present. As soon as Ava came into her vision, however, the same emotions played across her face, and she had to be confined by the harness. The first few days Ava wasn't sure how to deal with her, fixating Sara before bringing her food or injecting necessary medication into her arm. Once she left, it took about half an hour for Sara to calm down, and Ava used the remote to release her hiding out of sight. 

On the third day, Ava noticed that Sara started to smell like a body that had not been washed for a long time, sweat and grease caking her skin and hair. She wasn't sure what to do but decided that maybe taking care of Sara's needs outside of food and drink would help her build more trust. "Let's give it a try," Ava said to herself resolutely. She pressed the remote before entering the guestroom and disabling the barrier. As always, Sara cycled through the motions, and by now Ava was used to her own reactions to it. She knelt down to the hissing woman lying on the floor, eyes red, teeth gnarling.

"Sara, it's ok. I won't hurt you, I promise." Ava tried to soothe her, her hand reaching out to establish some primary skin to skin contact. She could see Sara strain against the harness, her muscles bulging, a thin layer of sweat forming on her body.

"I will give you a wash today, I think I will wait with your hair tomorrow ok. I think you will feel better when you are clean." Ava said calmly, voice even. She kept talking to Sara in that calm, soothing voice, telling her about the world outside, some stories about Gerry and a bit about how the Legends were doing.

  
Meanwhile, she had filled a bucket with warm, soapy water and brought a washcloth and a few towels. Ava did not dare to pick Sara up for a proper bath, figuring that she could do that tomorrow while washing Sara's hair. She gently wiped down Sara's hands and feet, trying to give the hissing woman time to get used to the touch, before moving up her arms and legs.

Ava wasn't brave enough to wash the more intimate parts of Sara and decided to deal with that tomorrow. Talking to Sara, cleansing her with calm and measured movements had a relaxing effect on Ava, it was almost meditative, and when she turned Sara to wash her back, she felt at more at ease with the whole situation.

She could deal with this, she thought, she would try everything to help Sara. Finally, Ava tended to Sara's face, carefully wiping it, drying it, her fingers sometimes grazing the soft skin of her charge. Ava was so focused on her task that she did not realise immediately that Sara was no longer hissing, but had her eyes closed and was lying very still. Ava's hands stilled for a moment, watching her in surprise.

"You like me, tending to your face?" Ava whispered, her hand gently caressing Sara's cheek. A low hum formed in Sara's breast and Ava was surprised when she seemed to lean into her touch. Ava continued to caress her cheek for a bit longer, mesmerised by the change in the woman before her. When she finally pulled away, Sara's eyes snapped open in an instant, eyes blazing red.

  
"Shhhh, Sara, it is ok. I am not going to hurt you. I promise." Ava tried to soothe her, carefully stroking her arm but to no avail. She understood that Sara was waiting for the inevitable torture to follow the caresses, and Ava had to swallow hard. She was disappointed but chastised herself for it immediately.

It had been a significant first step, and she should be happy that there was some progress after only a couple of days. Helping Sara wouldn't be easy, it would take time, she was smart enough to understand that.

Ava finally left Sara alone to talk to Amaya and Ray about Sara, giving the other woman the time and space she needed to come down from her rage. Amaya and Ray were ecstatic and excited, so much in fact that Ava had to remind them that this would be a very long and bumpy road and that there would be immense setbacks waiting for them.

After she hung up, she settled on her couch with a glass of wine, contemplating everything that had happened.

"Oh boy, Ava, you have A LOT to think about haven't you," she said to herself, chuckling. There were all these feelings she had to at least think about, there was the thrill of Sara reacting so positively, and then there was tomorrow when she would have to deal with a rather naked Sara Lance. Ava downed the glass in one go. She would deal with all of this tomorrow, now she would simply enjoy the feeling of being at ease for a while.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you all waiting for smut.. it'll hit ya soon enough ;)

Ava woke up nervous. Today was propper bath time for Sara, meaning the assassin would be naked, or at least partially since Ava had to solve the problem with the harness to pull the old cloth off and put fresh ones on her too.

She felt uneasy invading Sara's privacy like that, mainly since Sara couldn't really consent. Ava knew though that hygiene was necessary, and since she had already decided that today would be the day wait much longer to get started would not be beneficial for her nerves. "Let's get it over with!" she mumbled to herself.

Ava used the remote to fixate Sara before entering her room. Sara started to hiss and growl at her instantly when Ava came into her vision. Ava knelt beside her and contemplated how to go about undressing her. First, she needed Sara to calm down like she had done yesterday, that would probably allow her to pull off the clothing limp by limp without compromising her own security.

Ava never stopped to contemplate calling Amaya for backup, to focused on fighting her own awkwardness with the situation.

  
She started talking to Sara, calmly explaining what was going to happen, what she would be doing to her and why it was necessary. Ava began to gently caress her arms and hands, finally moving her hands to Sara's face feeling the tense body relax under her touch until the hissing and growling stopped and Sara's eyes closed.

Ava's heart swole at Sara's reaction to her touch, and her hand seemed to automatically detect the most sensitive spots to make Sara lean into Ava's touch the now familiar sensation of flowing electricity building in Ava's fingertips. After a few minutes, Ava deemed it save to return caressing Sara's hand and arm, carefully detaching it from the harness to prepare to take off Sara's top.

Ava listened for any change in Sara's breathing, focusing on staying calm and collected, not disturbing Sara's peace to much with her fumbling with Sara's garment. Ava's mistake in hindsight was to never check back in Sara's face.

As soon as she had stopped caressing Sara's face, the other woman's eyes snapped up eyes burning red. Only this time, she did not give herself away by hissing and growling, this time, Sara waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Ava had detached Sara's hand and tried to gently loop it through the shirt when Sara attacked, her palm instantly and savagely connecting with Ava's jaw, nearly knocking her out. Ava knew she was in imminent danger of losing her life and tried to move but the strike had rung her bell pretty hard, and neither her bain nor her limps seemed to be connected to each other.

Ava groaned, fighting a losing battle against her own body, her eyes frantically trying to focus. The last thing Ava saw was Sara face, inches away from hers, red eyes drilling into Ava's blue eyes when Sara squeezed her airways shut. Ava clawed at Sara's hands for a few seconds before her eyes lost focus and her world turned black, her hands falling away from Sara's limply.

  
When Ava woke up, the first thing she noticed was the thumping headache and a bruised jaw, the next thing was the feeling of being gaged and having bound hands and feet. It took a second for Ava to remember what had happened, making her startle with fright, her eyes darting from left to right searching for Sara.

The movement made the pain in her head flare up, and she could not suppress a groan. Sara must have watched her close by, as her hand suddenly closed around Ava's throat, squeezing threateningly, her face hovering above Ava.

Ava swallowed hard, feeling like Sara's eyes were burning holes into her very soul, her own eyes open and vulnerable - there was no point in pretending she wasn't scared for her own life. Ava waited for Sara to strike, to end her existence but realised after a few seconds that the final blow strangely wasn't coming.

Sara was growling, her eyes searching Ava's eyes for something Ava could not name. Ava did not dare to move, her breath shallow and ragged, waiting for Sara's next move. She suddenly realised that Sara's eyes somehow flickered, rapidly changing from red to blue and back.

Sara kept searching Ava's eyes, her hand tightening and loosening its grip around Ava's throat. Ava started to sweat, fear and anxiety overtaking her, and she couldn't hold back when tears began to well up in her eyes, her lips quivering.

Ava closed her eyes, sobs shaking her body. She was defenceless and at Sara's mercy - she had never felt more vulnerable and alone than lying on the floor of her own flat, bound and gagged with an out of control assassin staring at her, choking her.

  
Sara's hand closed harder around Ava's throat when she started to sob, making her expect the worst. Suddenly, Sara's hand was gone from her throat, and Ava startled when her tears were wiped away with an unexpected, tender touch. Ava slowly opened her eyes and was no longer looking into the burning, red eyes of the blood lust but the bright blue eyes of Sara Lance who kept running her fingers along the tracks of Ava's tears.

Ava almost moaned at the touch, her skin feeling like it was on fire, the sensation somehow wiring directly into her heart making it skip a beat.

There was no recognition in Sara's eye's however, just puzzlement and wonder, the ex-assassin wondrously staring at the wetness of Ava's tears on her fingertips. There was a noise somewhere in Ava's flat, but Sara was to focus on her fingers when she suddenly fell forward over Ava.

Nate and Zari came rushing into the guestroom, quickly refitting the harness over the unconscious Sara. A dart was protruding from Sara's neck, probably containing some tranquilliser. Zari rushed to Ava's aid, quickly untying her and dislodging the gag from Ava's face.

"The fuck?" Zari asked Ava accusingly, who sat on the floor, shaking all over.

"Zari, give her a breather!" Nate said sharply.

"No, Nate! What did the fuck happen? You could be dead, Ava!"

Ava drew in a deep breath before explaining what had happened.

"You wanted to wash her hair, and did not even think to ask us for backup - you have got to be kidding me!" Zari snarled annoyed.

"Zari, just stop it, will you!" Nate said, annoyed, reaching out to help Ava get up from the floor.

"Zari is right, I made a terrible mistake. I think I underestimated the danger, considering how Sara reacted yesterday."

Zari snorted. "Damn right, you did indeed, Sharp. You are lucky; Amaya had this feeling about something being wrong!"

"Thank you, guys!" Ava said quietly, eyes downcast.

"It's ok, Ava. We appreciate everything you are doing for our Captain!"

"Thank you, Nate. Sara still needs a bath..." Ava trailed off.

"I will ping Amaya, she is much better at those things then I am!" Zari said grumpily.

  
With Amaya's help, Ava managed to wash the tranquillised woman thoroughly, for the first time consciously registering the extensive scarring on her body when her fingertips grazed the uneven patches of skin. Ava was mesmerised by Sara's toned body and the stark contrast the scars created on her otherwise soft skin.

"She won't mind the scars," Amaya said softly. "She has never been vain..."

"Cocky, though!" Ava chuckled.

"Yeah, she holds a degree in cockiness!" Amaya said tenderly.

Amaya and Ava talked about what happened quietly while taking care of Sara, and Ava felt relieved to be able to admit to her fears and worries without being judged for them. She must have let through more than she had planned, as Amaya drew her own conclusions quickly.

"Ava, I think you are an incredibly strong woman, but I want you to be careful."

Ava looked up in surprise. "Ah, yes, Amaya, a mistake like this won't happen again."

"No, that's not what I mean. I don't want to overstep a boundary here, but I think Sara is manifesting herself in your heart and...well...the chances that she will ever be what we all knew her she was are 50/50 at best. The odds are stacked against her, and I would not want to see you suffer because of it."

Ava wanted to protest immediately, brushing Amaya off, but when she noticed the caring look in her face, Ava could not do it.

"I...I...well, I don't...uhm" Ava mumbled, words failing her.

"I understand, no worries." Amaya nodded.

"Come on, let's get her dried and dressed," Amaya said, gently caressing Sara's cheek. Ava nodded, relieved that Amaya did not press her further.

  
Later that night, Ava finally found some peace and quiet to process the day for herself. She had been convinced at the time that she had escaped certain death by the width of a hair, thinking about it now though she wasn't sure that was true. First, Ava did not know how long she had been unconscious, and Sara had tied her up and gagged her rather than killing her there and then.

Secondly, her eyes, the way she had reacted to Ava's crying - Ava was less and less confident Sara would have seriously harmed her. Ava sat up straight, a sudden excitement filling her. That was an excellent position to be in if her theory was correct - this would take a significant risk out of working with Sara, open up new possibilities.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a quick update

new chapter is up, next one tomorrow :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking better right? I am a sucker for drama (and many more things that we won't discuss here), so don't expect a happy ending all too soon...

Ava planned her next steps very carefully and even got Gideon involved after a bit of a back and forth discussion with the AI. If things went down the drain, there were no guarantees Ava would be found on time by the crew, but she would always give herself a fighting chance by having an emergency plan.

  
Her plan was straightforward, she would use a mild sedative to unharness the ex-assassin, set her free and be present when she would wake up - and then see what would happen between them. Ava was convinced that Sara would not harm her, at least not kill her, small injuries were a necessary evil Ava would gladly accept if it meant setting Sara on a path of healing.

Ava chose a Friday night as the best time to set her plan in motion, as it would allow her to spend two full days with Sara without having to worry about going to work - what would happen come Monday morning Ava did not dare think about. She knew her plan was risky, but her gut told her it was the only chance the smaller blond had to recover.

The closer Friday came, the more nervous Ava became, not sleeping at all from Thursday to Friday, merely tossing and turning under her covers. Ava really hoped she wasn't wrong and that she had a real shot at getting through to Sara. Ava figured it was all about verbally and non-verbally showing Sara that her faith would never ever be used against her again and that she was save with Ava.

Friday evening approached, and Ava felt strangely giddy, she was excited, scared and hopeful at the same time. She quickly changed into more comfortable clothing, took the supplies and pressed the button to harness Sara for what was hopefully the last time.

When Ava entered Sara's room, the other woman watched her with gleaming eyes, flickering between red and blue, snarling at Ava. Ava retrieved the medication and administered a light dose of the tranquilliser, making Sara growl aggressively at the sting of the needle and Ava's closeness.

Ava ran a hand tenderly over Sara' hair. "It's ok, Sara. I won't hurt you. I promise!" Ava wasn't sure if Sara had heard her, but she stopped growling and lay still, her eyes fixating Ava until the tranquilliser hit, and the ex-assassin drifted off to sleep. Ava waited for a few more minutes, wanting to make sure that Sara was asleep so she could prepare the smaller blond to be released.

Gideon had estimated that the dose would make Sara sleep for roughly thirty minutes before she would wake up again. Ava quickly unharnessed Sara, wincing at the sores the harness had created in a few places.

"Gosh, we have treated you like an animal..." Ava blushed in embarrassment.

Of course, the team and Ava had had very valid reasons to harness Sara, yet seeing the scraped skin and subsequently understanding how uncomfortable the harness must have been doing nothing to ease the guilt Ava felt.

"You are not an animal, you are Sara Lance, and I WILL bring you back. I promise you, Sara!" Ava whispered softly, lightly stroking the ex-assassins hair. Ava lifted Sara from the ground and placed her on the bed, contemplating how to proceed now.

It was clear from the few instances that Sara craved tenderness and security above all else so Ava considered if she should simply spoon the other woman, hold her tightly or maybe pull her into her chest to have her listen to Ava's heartbeat.

In the end, Ava decided against spooning Sara, as being hugged from behind while waking up from deep sleep could easily be considered threatening as could pulling Sara onto her chest. She decided that she wanted to be close when Sara woke up, but not too near as to invade her personal space too much.

She gently turned Sara on her side so that she was facing the middle of the bed, before laying next to her, her hand covering Sara's while pulling it into Ava's chest, hopefully conveying her own heartbeat nevertheless. Ava had kept a bit of a distance between her and Sara's face. She was close enough, however, to feel the smaller blond breath on her skin.

Finally, both women lay still, Ava watching the other woman sleep. She took in in every centimetre of Sara's face, memorising every freckle, the almost invisible scars on her brow and cheek, her long, blonde eyelashes, the fine hairs of her eyebrows, the beautiful form of her lips - warmth radiated through Ava.

Ava marvelled at the face before her. Sara was so beautiful, so peaceful. Ava sighed, what would happen when Sara woke - would she turn into a threat again? Ava started to feel drowsy after a while of watching over Sara, the sleeping woman having a calming effect of her and the lack of sleep of the week catching up with Ava.

The tall blond felt herself nod of twice, jerking awake before finally drifting off to a deep slumber. Ava woke with a start, trying to stay calm. She wasn't sure how long she had slept, and she also wasn't sure if Sara had already woken.

Ava left her eyes closed, realising that her hand was devoid of Sara's hand, but still feeling the rhythmic breath of Sara hitting her face warmly. The ex-assassin hadn't moved away from Sara and had not attacked her - that was a good sign, wasn't it? Ava tried to breathe calmly, keeping her eyes closed. Sara was close by, but Ava had no guarantee that she was still asleep.

Ava convinced herself that even if Sara was awake, she was probably reasonably safe as long as she pretended to be still asleep. Maybe that would give Sara the time to adjust being freed from the harness and having Ava close to her.

The taller blonde almost gasped in shock when a hand suddenly touched her hair but managed to keep her breath steady, and her eyes closed, not giving away that she was awake. Sara ran her hand through Ava's hair, it felt gentle and almost tender to Ava, before the Sara moved to touch Ava's face.

Sara used her fingertips to trace Ava's bone structure, her brows and finally her lips, making Ava's skin tingle like it was on fire. Sara brushed her thumb over Ava's bottom lip, and Ava had to suppress a sudden moan forming inside her chest.

She felt the urge to open her mouth, to allow Sara's finger access, to kiss the digit gently, yet she managed to keep pretending to be asleep. Sara's hand kept wandering over Ava's face, through her hair and along her arms.

Ava felt herself getting wet, and she hated herself for it. There was something about Sara's touch that set Ava on fire, made her react like a hormonal teenager even in a situation like this. Ava wondered what it would have been like to be with the Captain if she had given Sara a chance when they first met.

After what felt like an eternity of being touched and stroked by Sara she felt the mattress dip and all of a sudden she felt soft lips on her own, and when Sara's tongue almost hesitantly ran along Ava's lower lip, tasting her, testing her, Ava couldn't hold up the charade anymore.

Sara was so close that their foreheads touched and they were staring into each other eyes. Ava saw none of the red fire flickering in the other woman's eyes, they were crystal clear and blue as the Mediterranean sea in summer.

Ava swallowed hard, letting herself be kissed, not daring to make a move. When Sara pulled back, she did not break eye contact with Ava, her hand resting lightly on Ava's neck.

"Hey," Ava said softly, voice sounding hoarse. Ava moved her hand slowly towards Sara's face, not wanting to startle her, yet Sara just watched her intently giving no indication that she would pull back from Ava's touch.

When Ava made contact with Sara's skin, the ex assassins eyes flickered red for a second but returned to their deep blue so quickly that Ava wondered if she had simply imagined the colour change. The taller blonde lightly ran her fingertips along Sara's jaw, before cupping her face, her thumb brushing tenderly against Sara's cheekbone.

"Hey, Sara," Ava said softly again, a spark of recognition showing in Sara's eyes.

Ava kept her hand on Sara's face, her thumb drawing slow circles. Sara closed her eyes and a deep hum formed in the ex-assassin's chest.

"Come home, Sara..." Ava whispered, tears threatening to spill at the touching sight of the other woman relaxing under Ava's touch.

"Please, come home... to me," Ava whispered again.


	10. Chapter 10

Ava and Sara lay there, both of them lost in their own emotions and sensations created by the tender touches, drinking in each other's eyes. Ava seemed to have lost all concepts of time. Her body was on fire, her heart in another dimension and her mind all encompassed by the smaller blond before her.

She could have stayed like this for the rest of her life and would have been happy, Ava thought. Yet, Ava had a plan and needed to start executing. This wasn't about her, this was about helping the other woman rediscover her soul, become fully human again.

Ava inhaled deeply, trying to refocus and pull herself out of her current, almost hypnotised state. She kept eye contact with Sara before she softly started to speak. Ava talked about everything and nothing, seeing flashes of recognition in Sara's eyes mixed with utter confusion, moments of anger and sadness.

Sara never stopped stroking Ava, but after some time Sara's eyes started to droop, and she snoozed off, her hand resting warmly on Ava's cheek, her fingers occasionally twitching. Ava sighed relieved, this had gone way better than anticipated.

It was a start, the difficult part would be to see how Sara would react if Ava started to move around her. Ava watched the other woman sleep and fought the rising hope in her chest, it was far too early to be joyous about anything just yet. Sara woke half an hour later, her eyes immediately searching Ava's who hadn't moved.

Ava immediately started to talk to Sara again, noticing that Sara's hand returned to stroking Ava.

"Sara, I have to get up now. I am hungry. Would you like to eat something too?" Ava asked the smaller blond calmly.

Ava moved slowly and deliberately away from Sara, the other woman's hand following her until Ava was out of reach. Ava pushed herself up slowly, watching Sara trying to keep her gaze steady and open. Sara's eyes flickered, hints of red swimming in and out of them and she started to push herself up too, her body tensing.

Ava stopped all movements, watching Sara, gauging if the other woman prepared to attack her. Sara's face looked guarded, yet Ava could not see signs of aggression yet. Ava started to move again, standing up slowly, her hands down, trying to convey nothing that could be interpreted as a sign of attack.

She watched Sara, who was now crouching in the corner of the room, eyes darting from left to right. It hit Ava then that Sara was scared of her, she looked more a like a cornered fox facing a gang of bloodhounds then an attacker.

Ava started talking again, deliberately averting her eyes, moving slowly while explaining to Sara what was happening. Ava took a sandwich and a bottle of water and placed it on the bed. She took another sandwich and more water for herself, moving backwards toward the bed, settling against the pillows.

Sara observed her, but she seemed less tense now. Her eyes no longer flickering from side to side but between the food and Ava's face. Ava smiled at Sara and nodded.

"Yes, Sara. You can take it." Sara growled at Ava's words, yet Ava had a feeling it wasn't threatening... more like a means of communicating with Ava?

Ava ate slowly, her eyes focusing on her food. Sara inched closer to the offered food and finally snatched it from the covers, eating it hungrily.

"Do you want more food?" Ava asked softly and gestured towards the plate.

Sara's eyes followed Ava's movements before she growled again. Ava got back up and took another sandwich from the plate. This time she did not place it on the covers, however, but moved closer to Sara, holding the food in her outstretched hand.

Sara moved further back against the wall when Ava approached, obvious distress was now visible in her eyes. Ava slowly lowered herself to the ground, crossing her legs sitting down. She held the sandwich towards the other woman.

"I won't harm you, Sara. Please, take the food from me?"

Sara's eyes danced between Ava and the bread for a while. Ava was about to give up when Sara very slowly started to move towards her, inching closer, almost crawling. When Sara had closed the distance, Ava offered her the sandwich with a soft smile.

Sara took the sandwich, her fingers brushing over Ava's. Sara plumed to the ground, her knee touching Ava's, but she did not seem to mind the contact now, happily chewing the bread. Ava watched her in wonder, at this point Sara was more animal than human at times, yet when they had lain on the bed together there had been something so very human about her... it was hard to grasp for Ava's mind.

"Sara?" Ava asked the munching woman.

Sara did not react, so Ava gently nudged the smaller blonds knee.

"Hey, Sara!" Ava said again as Sara's eyes snapped up. Recognition crossed Sara's face.

"Yes, you are Sara. Sara Lance!" Ava smiled, hoping to get through to her.

Sara stopped chewing, mouth half full and stared at Ava questioning. She looked so cute and funny at the same time that Ava couldn't help but chuckle. Sara's brows knitted together instantly at the sound before they relaxed again, and a smile started to spread over her face.

Ava gasped, swallowing hard. Sara hadn't smiled ever since she ended up in Damien Darkhs hands. Sara hadn't looked as close to herself as right at this moment. She was absolutely breathtaking, making Ava's heart swell with emotions so big that Ava had to gasp, clutching her chest.

The two women simply sat there, eyes locked. Ava hesitantly reached out to Sara, not sure what she expected to happen and for a few seconds her hand was hanging in the air, Sara looking at it curiously. Finally, Sara's hand reached out to touch Ava's, dropping her sandwich.

Ava carefully closed her hand gently around Sara's and gave her a soft tug, inviting the other woman to close to the distance. Sara leaned in hesitantly, inching closer towards Ava. When she was close enough, Ava moved back against the bed, gently pulling Sara between her now outstretched legs, turning the ex-assassin so that she was sitting sideways.

The air between them was filled with so much spark that it felt thick to the touch. Sara was tense, her body like a spring ready to snap, her eyes locked into Ava's, searching, questioning. There was no sign of the red fire at all, and Ava carefully wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, pulling her into a tender embrace, Sara's face resting in the crook of Ava's neck.

Sara's hands settled on Ava's thigh, and Ava felt the smaller woman relax. Ava placed a feathery kiss on Sara's forehead, rocking her so softly that it was hardly noticeable. Sara's breath started to deepen, her face burying closer into Ava's neck, inhaling the other woman's scent deeply.

"Sara, come home to me," Ava whispered.

Sara's hand came up to Ava's face while she pulled back a little, her blues eyes fixating Ava, her lips brushing over Ava's like a butterfly. Ava sighed at the contact, lovingly caressing Sara's cheek with her right hand. Sara's kiss became more wanting, her lips more eager and Ava allowed herself to be lead by the ex-assassin.

Sara started to push her body into Ava now, her tongue running teasingly over Ava's bottom lip, making Ava gasp. Sara's tongue slipped between Ava's lips, teasing the other woman's tongue, exploring her, wanting her. Sara's hand found the back of Ava's neck, fisting into the other woman's hair, turning fully, straddling Ava's legs.

The smaller blonde started to grind slowly into Ava, soft moans escaping her. Ava whimpered at the sound, it felt all so wrong and right at the same time, and god did Ava want to just give in and be Sara's for the taking, but she knew she couldn't - no shouldn't take advantage of Sara.

Ava tried to push the other woman away gently, finally needing more force to break away.

"Sara, stop!" Ava said sharply, holding the smaller woman at arm's length. Hurt flashed across Sara's face.

"Sara, we shouldn't..." Ava tried to explain, when Sara's hand came up to her face, running her thumb over Ava's bottom lip, leaving a trail of fire.

"Beautiful." Ava's eyes went wide with shock, her mouth hung open.

"D...did...what? was all Ava managed to stammer?

"Beautiful," Sara said again, smiling at Ava.

"Sara?" Ava asked tentatively.

 

 


End file.
